Another Path
by SnowTime
Summary: His dream came true and he was satisfied. When a chance appeared again, he decided to go about his way leisurely, trying out the many things the world had to offer while he met old friends and made many new ones. Another chance, another way to spend it, and he chose to enjoy it in another way. Timetravel
1. Beginning of Another Journey

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Pokemon series.**

 **A/N: Criticisms are fine. Don't like, don't read. I apologize in advance for any mistakes.**

 **I prefer the Japanese version of the character's names, so I'll be using those.**

 **Ash = Satoshi**

 **Misty = Kasumi**

 **Profressor Oak = Professor Okido**

 **Also, I will not be sticking to the four-moves only rules and will be following the anime, somewhat. And I'll be adding some game mechanics which will be turned to fit real-life logic and I'll explain it somehow.**

 **No Pairings.**

* * *

 **~Chapter 1: Beginning of Another Journey~**

* * *

Nostalgia.

That's what he felt.

The past memories of his stubbornness, of trying to become the Pokémon Master and finally, achieving it in the end.

But what about this time? Should he try it again?

"I'm a little tired, I guess." Let's not worry about that this time, let's just enjoy the adventures without hurrying. Try new things, learn more and if they were fated to be, find his old friends. "I wonder if I'll get Pikachu again..." Satoshi mused lightly. He was sure it would be his buddy again; after all, he had already confirmed that the string of fate tied them together.

Forever and ever, no matter where.

xxxxx

This time, he arrived on time. _'I wonder how much this will change.'_

"Ah, Satoshi. Good to see you my boy. Here for your first Pokémon?" Professor Okido waved him over, a sheepish look on his face. "I'm sorry to say, but I'm already out of starter Pokémon." Ah, the same thing like last time, this must be because of the Celebi incident back then...

"I know you have another Pokémon for me, professor. You aren't the only one to meet Celebi." Amusement colored his eyes as he watched the momentarily shock that passed through the professor's eyes, but it quickly disappeared.

He chuckled. "I see, I was right. Well then, here you go." And the familiar red pokéball with the thunderbolt sticker on it was handed over.

Satoshi took it, an old familiar feeling we long up within him and he released his old buddy.

"Come on out, Pikachu." The red beam gently appeared and the yellow mouse formed, looking around in a daze.

Satoshi chose a more slow approach this time, taking out his new hobbies: a berry, camera, and a drawing pad. He held out the light blue Oran berry he knew the Pokémon liked. "Here. Are you hungry?"

Pikachu, in front of this unfamiliar person bristled and almost used a Thundershock. But being presented with the Oran berry, he couldn't help but appreciate this human a little. He sniffed it carefully for any tricks, before taking a hold of it and taking a bite.

"Pika~!" It was very delicious. But he almost dropped it when he heard a sudden click and he looked up warily.

Satoshi give a light smile. "Sorry about that, I hope you don't mind me taking some pictures and drawing you." It was his way of recording their memories this time. Let him go back and see the things they've done, and new things to do.

Pikachu relaxed, seeing he wasn't trying to do something to him and continued to eat the berry. Professor Okido watched with a smile at the side for a short moment before leaving to get the needed things.

After taking the picture and drawing his buddy, he shuffled through his bag and placed everything neatly back in. Professor Okido also returned by then and handed him some things.

"Pokédex, a set of pokéballs, licenses and an egg." Satoshi looked a little confused. He understood the extra license since he also took the assistant field professor test this time around, but the egg?

Understanding the confused look, the old professor elaborated. "It's from one of the Pokémon you often took care of. She had hoped her child would've hatched before today and became your first, but as you can see, that did not happen." Satoshi accepted the egg with a smile; he could roughly guess who the egg came from.

"Tell her thanks for me, I'll take care of her child." Yes he would make sure this Pokémon will be happy, this Pokémon still in its brown and creamy egg. He turned to look down at the yellow Pokémon who was looking in interest at the egg he was holding and said, "Shall we be on our way?" He smiled when Pikachu nodded, for once not rejecting him outright like before.

To Pikachu, the human felt familiar. Like some long lost memories that he cannot remember, along with a rather strange thought, ' _Glad he is smarter this time.'_ And he tilted his head, confused. ' _Where did that come from?'_ His new trainer turned to leave and he followed, glad to not be returned to his pokéball, he rather hated it.

The old professor looked on with a smile and thought, ' _I'm glad I got it right.'_

xxxxx

While on the route to their next destination, Satoshi had a sudden thought. "Hey, Pikachu, what do you want to do?"

Pikachu cocked his head, confused. "Pika?"

Satoshi laughed a little. "I mean, do you want to battle and win badges and become the top Pokémon, or do other things like beauty contests?" Pikachu made a face at the last suggestion. It made Satoshi laughed some more. "Or we can just enjoy adventuring without a need for battles."

Pikachi shook his head firmly at that. He like battles! Getting stronger and proving himself! " _Piikachu!_ "

"So battles it is, but for that, you need to train." Satoshi took out his Pokédex and scanned Pikachu, musing to himself. _'Come to think of it, I never used it last time to check out Pikachu's stats...'_

 _[Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon. It keeps its tail raised to monitor its surroundings. If you yank its tail, it will try to bite you.]_

Well, this explained a lot regarding sudden shocks the Pokémon had caused over the years. He checked Pikachu's specific information and raised an eyebrow.

[Level 10]

Well, it was higher than the average level for a starter Pokémon.

[Moves: Thundershock, Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Tail Whip, Growl...] And the list went on, but most of them were unused since they weren't really attacks.

[Egg Moves: Volt Tackle (Locked)]

Well, now he understood why Pikachu never used Volt Tackle until much later. He simply could not handle it, and therefore cannot use it. He closed the Pokédex and placed it back into his pocket before pulling out a rather thick book.

"Here." and handed it to the perplexed Pokémon.

"Kachu chu kachu Chu?" Pikachu asked and dropped the book to the ground.

They were currently resting for the moment and getting to know each other in a safe place. Satoshi took out the egg and a cloth and absently started to wipe it as he explained. "There are many moves within that book for any Pokémon in Kanto. You can look for your species and check it out."

And check it out he did. Pikachu's small jaw was on the ground by the time he finished reading through the moves.

"Chuu?!" he questioned his trainer. Some of those were moves he never even heard of a Pikachu doing! How was it possible?!

Satoshi gave a satisfied grin. "Those that have levels on the side are generally when you instinctively learn them. You can learn them earlier by training though, and others that need a tutor to teach you. I have the training for it, so I can teach you myself." well, he had training in his past life. Can't take too many things at once after all.

Pikachu was still in shock. How did he get such an amazing trainer? _'Well, he's amazing now.'_ his mind supplied, but he didn't get it and so ignored it.

Then, the egg in Satoshi's lap suddenly jiggled and glowed brightly.

"What?" and it hatched without any warning. _'Even your egg is unpredictable...'_ he thought to the mother Pokémon silently as he watched the quickly forming Pokémon... "Twins?! Can Pokémon even have twins?!" and it turned into a pair of Eevees.

"Ee-" the first one started.

"Vee!" and the second one finished.

Satoshi stared, and stared some more. He finally snapped out of it when a pair of paws landed on his face.

"Ah, sorry sorry. I've never heard of twin Pokémon before. Have you, Pikachu?" he asked his buddy and the mouse shock his head. He had never seen twins before either, they were rather rare.

"Ee-"

"Vee!"

The two whined for attention and he started to pet them. Half of his team was already filled, what's going to happen next?

xxxxx

Satoshi took his time going to the next town this time without trying to foolishly catch a Pidgey barehanded and pissing off a swarm of bad-tempered Pokémon. He was also starting to teach Pikachu how to do Iron Tail since the electric Pokémon needed some variety to beat the Rock-Type Gym.

The twins, who he decided to call Ee, and Vee (since they always use those) until they evolved were playing around using their moves as they went along. Both of them were female and had Yawn as an egg move along with Charm. They really were overpowered Level 1 Pokémon, but he shouldn't have expected any less, considering who their parents were.

"Pika! Pika! Pika!" well, Pikachu was working very hard to make and maintain Iron Tail. He had Pikachu use Tail Whip as the base and slow converts his tail into Iron. It was working so far, but he would need a lot more practice before it was truly usable for battle.

Watching Pikachu working on his tail, the twins also got pumped up.

"Ee!"

"Vee!"

"Ee!"

"Vee!"

And their tails started turning into Iron Tail as well. Satoshi could feel the beginning of a headache. _'They have to be geniuses too, huh?'_

xxxxx

After a short journey, they have finally arrived in Viridian City. Before entering though, he had put the twins back into their pokéball (but not without complaints) and left Pikachu on his shoulder. He still had to go through Officer Jenny again though (some things never change) and headed to the Pokémon Center after he was checked.

He signed in for a room for a few days and started to empty out his backpack for his drawing supplies and camera.

"Ni!" and they all took a smiling picture before he decided they all need a bath.

"Don't shock us now, Pikachu." he warned the yellow mouse who shook his head in acknowledgment.

"Pi." he climbed into the tub of hot water and relaxed.

"Ee?"

"Vee?" the two poked the water with their paws curiously and he picked them up, carrying them into the water with him.

He relaxed as the hot water worked on his sore body. "Ah, this is life..." and his Pokémon agreed.

An hour later, they all headed to bed after a light dinner. With the three snoozing within their covers, Satoshi allowed a fond and reminiscing smile to cross his face. "Glad to see you again buddy, I've missed you." and he fell asleep with a smile.

xxxxx

"Pi-kachu!" The yellow Pokémon did a victory dance as Satoshi shook hands with his fellow trainer.

"Thanks for the battle, it was fun." he told the blond trainer.

"You too, and you're really strong." the other acknowledge and left with a wave.

Satoshi looked down at the disgruntle pair of twins who were pouting and ignoring their trainer. "Sorry, but you need a little more training before I can use you two for battles." the twins pouted even harder if it was possible.

"Ee!"

"Vee!" and they started showing off all their moves to prove themselves.

Satoshi could feel a migraine coming. _'Did you two really hatch just a few days ago? This is beyond the level of a level 5 Pokémon...'_

Pikachu had become a level 12 just recently, showing much improvement and Iron Tail was usable for battle now. The twins also battled each other and the occasional wild Pokémon and rose to level 5 at an astonishing speed.

"Fine. If you two can get to level 10 by the time we reach the gym, I'll let you battle other trainers alright?" he said resignedly as the twins voiced their approvals. He could already feel the oncoming headache when they arrived at their next destination. They left soon after the Team Rocket attempt robbery and he also met Kasumi during their stay at the center.

She was certainly much nicer without the bicycle incident, but she did freeze up when he told her his plan of going to Cerulean City after winning the badge from Pewter City's gym. They parted ways after that, but he was pretty sure they were going to meet up again along the way to Cerulean.


	2. Bugs and Birds

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Pokemon series.**

 **A/N: Criticisms are fine. Don't like, don't read. I apologize in advance for any mistakes.**

 **Ash = Satoshi**

 **No Pairings**

* * *

 **~Chapter 2: Bugs and Birds~**

* * *

Traveling through the Viridian Forest at an easy pace, they eventually found Caterpie who was caught with a gentle toss of his pokéball.

 _[Caterpie, the Worm Pokémon. Its short feet are tipped with suction pads that enable it to tirelessly climb slopes and walls.]_

[Level 5]

[Moves: Tackle, String Shot]

Well, it was something he expected since Caterpies evolve at level 7, but some do hold off on evolving until they were stronger. And that's what he's going to do for his buddy.

He gave a stick to Caterpie who tilted his head in confusion.

"Pie?"

"You want to be stronger right? Caterpies have a move that they can only learn while they are still Caterpie. It's called Bug Bite. Try to pour power into your teeth and bite that stick. You're supposed to naturally learn it when you're stronger, but most Caterpies evolve before they ever learn it. And starting early is never a problem." he explained to the bug Pokémon who was starting to tear up.

Bug Pokémon were naturally disliked by many people, and Caterpies were considered weak Pokémon no one really wanted. To think he would have such a nice trainer...

"Cater-pie!" he will work hard! And he started to furiously bite the stick but...

"Cater... Pie..." his mouth hurts a little...

"Here." Satoshi handed him an Oran Berry and he jumped in joy. "No need to overdo yourself. Just take it slow and steady."

"Pie!"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu tugged on his coat, asking for more training. The Eevee twins were going to outdo him at the rate they were going! And there was no way he was going to be weaker than his juniors!

"Why not practice punching and kicking?" he suggested and the mouse Pokémon nodded. A kicking and punching Pikachu wasn't something seen everyday! And he was going to have an advantage over the twins since they couldn't stand up like he did.

"Pika! Pika! Pikachu!"

The twins stared, their brains working hard to come up with something ingenious. And ingenious they did.

"Ee!"

"Vee!"

They did back kicks like a horse instead and somehow managed to punch the air... Well, more like slap the air.

"Pikachu..." Pikachu made a disbelieving face as he watched them. " _Pika_..." A burning aura could be seen from him and he started to do Kung Fu like a Master. " _PI! PI! PI! KA! CHU!_ "

"You guys..." Satoshi was going to have a team of overworked Pokémon soon.

xxxxx

"Ee!"

"Vee!"

The Eevee twins made their own version of Double Slap involving the use of their tail and paws. Somehow, they also learned Double Team during the process and were currently beating up wild Pokémon, trying to level up. The wild Pokémon were truly pitiful with slap marks and bites decorating their body. He had them tone down the attacks since the Pokémon they were beating up were innocent and still had things to do.

Good thing their bites haven't turned into the actual Bite attack.

Pikachu also learned Double Team during his furious training, trying to make up a whole lot of random moves that somehow worked... And looked vaguely familiar...

' _Do my old Pokémon have a subconscious level of knowing what they used to know?'_ because Pikachu was also starting to form Electric Ball from his tail without noticing.

"Pie!" he turned to look at their new teammate and was pleasantly surprised when the bug Pokémon proudly presented the attack, Bug Bite. Although it only worked half the time and was still rather weak, he was getting somewhere.

"Good job everyone! Let's take a break before you all overwork yourself." with that said, they all gathered around to begin lunch and Pikachu let loose one last Thunderbolt to relieve the rest of his stress.

"Pika-CHU!"

 _Thump._

And a bird fell from the sky. It was Pidgeotto, who he was supposed to meet the next morning.

"Pikachu..." He tossed the ball and the knocked-out Pokémon was caught. "Watch where you aim your Thunderbolt next time."

The mouse Pokémon sheepishly rubbed his head.

"Pika." _Oops._

xxxxx

Pidgeotto was hunting that day. There was a blue sky, a bright sun, and gentle wind; it was the perfect day for a bird Pokémon like him! But then, he was shocked. Shocked by a random Thunderbolt that charred him to the core.

It was... A very painful experience... He was going to have a word with the electric Pokémon if he ever meets them.

But that was soon pushed to the back of his mind when he appeared in a very familiar scene.

"So, the same dream." he mused, but there was a change this time, much to his shock. The gray and white dream world he was so used to now had more color. A human and a Pikachu that he felt some ire for (even though he had no idea why) and two Pokémon he had never seen before.

Looking at the black hair human, he felt something stir. ' _This is my trainer.'_ his subconscious supplied to him. _'He has finally come back for me.'_ he cocked his head. Why did he have these odd flashbacks? These little memories that allowed him to get stronger and get away from trainers that wanted to catch him. Whenever he saw them, he always thought: _'They aren't my trainer.'_ and would get away. But when he came to and saw the trainer in front of him, he could only think: _'At last.'_ and chirp happily.

xxxxx

Seeing the bird Pokémon, Satoshi felt some guilt. He had never truly kept him promise from back then, even if he had come back for it later, many years have passed and the Orange Islands were old memories. But he was grateful for the birds' loyalty that still acknowledges him as his trainer even when he hadn't kept his promise.

"Pidgeotto, welcome to the family." he told him with a gentle smile while he secretly thought: _'Welcome back, old friend.'_ and they all enjoyed a wonderful dinner before heading to bed soon as night fell.

xxxxx

The next morning, Pidgeotto was wide awake and introduced to everyone. Pikachu also apologized for the stray Thunderbolt that knocked the bird Pokémon out and with a few ruffled feathers, he was forgiven. Overall, it was a nice way to start a beautiful morning and breakfast was served. To celebrate for the past few days success, Satoshi made large amounts of food from various berries he had collected while they were training.

The Pokémon were impressed. They knew their trainer had the ability to cook, but never this well! They all dove in the pile with much enthusiasm, pecking and pushing each other for some of their favorite stuff.

None of them but Satoshi noticed a tiny blue Pokémon slithering by and chomping down on the food without reserve. Satoshi had gave a small chuckle and opened up his Pokédex to record the Pokémon. A Dratini.

 _[Dratini, the Dragon Pokémon. Dratini sheds its skin as it grows, often doing so while hidden behind large powerful waterfalls.]_

By the time the other Pokémon noticed, it had already eaten its fill, and was prepared to curl up and sleep. Satoshi had to sweat-drop at this action. This was one rare Pokémon that didn't fear being captured and was even prepared to go to sleep! He didn't know if he should call it brave, idiotic, or lazy.

He chose lazy when he saw the sluggish movements when it was confronted by the other Pokémon.

" _Why did you eat our food? You're not even Satoshi's Pokémon!"_ Ee whined.

" _I wanted to eat that..."_ Vee cried.

" _Where did you even come from?"_ Pikachu asked the sleepy Pokémon.

" _I've never seen this Pokémon around before."_ Pidgeotto added in.

" _I'm a Dratini."_ the blue Pokémon introduced herself and turned to the twins. _"So, based on you two, I can't eat this if I'm not a Pokémon of 'Satoshi'?"_

The twins nodded and Satoshi wondered what was going to happen as he eavesdropped with his aura. He didn't use his aura much besides scanning his surroundings once in a while, or reinforcing his body. He also used it once in a while to fully understand Pokémon, but he usually liked guessing what they were saying. Using aura too much takes the fun out of things. But it was also needed to get some of the fun, and this was one of the chances.

In his thinking, he missed what else was said and watched as the Pokémon slithered over. He waited, wondering what the tiny Pokémon was going to do. And what it did shocked everyone in the clearing. It pressed the button of one of his spare pokéballs and caught itself... And released itself once it was successfully caught.

" _So now I'm a Pokémon of his. Good night."_ and it went back into the pokéball to sleep even though it was clearly morning...

What a lazy and odd Pokémon.

"Pika?" Satoshi didn't need aura to know what was said.

' _What just happened?'_

xxxxx

With that out of the way, Satoshi started to give some instructions to his Pokémon and let them have an all out battle between themselves without his interfering. This will increase their judgment of the situation and let their natural abilities grow.

"First, dodge attacks. If you can't, move yourself in a way that will lessen the damage done to you. Second, don't always use your eyes to see attacks. Some attacks can't be seen, and you can only wait patiently or try to guess. This is a good way to try your battle experience, and your sixth sense. Third, improvise. You can use attacks, but you can try to use them in different ways or combine different attacks. If you can't attack or defend, make a way for yourself. Use everything to your own advantage." he finished. That was the super short version for their battle for now, and with them all fired up, he started the countdown.

"Start!" and they all went to different places to begin their planning. Pidgeotto flew high in the sky. Caterpie went up a tree and the twins and Pikachu were both on the ground, waiting for a chance.

The first one to launch and attack was surprisingly Caterpie. The tiny bug Pokémon had used his String Shot to weave what looked like a net surrounding his area. The battle continued on this way with Caterpie reminding him of a spider as he caught the others one by one and using Bug Bite on them. He could had won if he hadn't forgotten about Pikachu's Thunderbolt.

A clear victory could not be decided though, since just as they were going to finish up, a familiar shriek echoed.

* * *

 **~Side Story 1: Pikachu~**

* * *

Before Pikachu met Satoshi, he used to have this very odd dream. But it was a good dream, full of happy moments that he could never fully remember when he woke up.

He would always be playing with many Pokémon and talking to many people, but they were always shadowed, and their words and appearance blurred. It was like a black and white world where only he, was colored.

But when he met Satoshi, the dream changed. Pikachu had watched in fascination as one of the shadows gained colors and they all continued to play. The shadow was Satoshi and it never felt odd to Pikachu that it was him in the dream, but it did when he was out of it.

' _I don't get it...'_ Pikachu stared at his trainer oddly the next morning as he scratched his head in confusion, the twins mimicking him.

Another dream later, there was another change. Two bright lights shown from the sky and two others were formed instead of the shadows coloring in. They were the Eevee twins who were looking around in confusion, but soon join in on the fun.

' _Why did they appear differently? Does the shadows mean something specific?'_ The Eevee twins appeared after he got to know them better, but Satoshi appeared immediately. If he stared hard enough, he could barely make out the specific Pokémon. Charizard, Butterfree, and a Squirtle...? There were many others of all sizes, some flying, some sleeping and others, playing.

' _Oh well.'_ and the dream would continue to change as he met more and more people and Pokémon, and traveled to many new places.


	3. Electricity Everywhere

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Pokemon series.**

 **A/N: Criticisms are fine. Don't like, don't read. I apologize in advance for any mistakes.**

 **Merry Christmas ^^**

 **Ash = Satoshi**

 **Misty = Kasumi**

 **No Pairings**

* * *

 **~Chapter 3:** **Electricity Everywhere~**

* * *

A rebounding, soul wrenching shriek. It can only mean that Kasumi has ran into a bunch of Bug Pokemon. Or worse, the Beedrill Hive from before.

If it was the former, Satoshi could only sign at his past-future friends hate. If it's the latter then... Holy Arceus, what bad luck.

"Pidgeotto, go see where that scream came from." Satoshi commanded his Bird Pokemon who without another word, quickly flapped and flew off in the general direction of the scream.

Satoshi's thoughts were right on the dot when Pidgeotto flew back in a hurry with Kasumi cycling her bike like a madwoman and a whole crowd of Beedrill following behind. He quickly recalled his Pokemon and prepared to run for it.

"Pikachu, Thunder Wave! Keep using it!" It was a good thing his buddy learned that move earlier, especially when they seem so prone to running into Beedrill Hives. There was no reason for him to use Thunderbolt when it takes more energy than Thunder Wave. He has learned his lesson well from all the uneventful run-ins with crowds of angry Pokemon.

A little paralyze wouldn't hurt much and it can keep pokemon down much longer. The crowd of Beedrills was slowly thinning as Pikachu used Thunder Wave over and over again. Those that could move despite being hit by the wave of thunder was much slowly and soon, they bee pokemon turned around and left.

Two humans and two Pokemon fell to the ground with a tired grunt.

"That... Was close... Ah..." Satoshi panted and sighed.

"Thanks... For the help..." Kasumi also panted out as the two Pokemon lied on the grassy floor to restore some energy after that unexpected marathon of flying for their lives and using Thunder Wave over and over again.

"No... Problem."

"Pidge..."

"Pika..."

All that could be heard for the next few minutes was panting sounds as they all tried to catch their breaths and savor in the feeling of surviving and angry mob of bees.

xxxxx

After the uneventful meeting, the two decided to team up and get through Viridian Forest. For Kasumi who hated bugs, it was a huge relief. But poor Caterpie's feelings were hurt all over again...

"Sorry, but I really can't stand bugs!" Kasumi inched away from Caterpie who was doing his cutest wiggle. It only served to disgust her more. The bug Pokemon was utterly devastated and look enviously at Dratini, who despite looking kinda similar to him (just a bit), was loved by the water trainer.

"Pie..."

"All girls like butterflies no matter how much they say they hate all bugs. She won't hate you for long..." Satoshi tried to soothe the sad pokemon and it seemed to work... In another way...

"Pie!" He was working even harder than before to evolve faster...

"You don't have to go so far..."

"Pie!"

"Just let nature take its course..."

"Pie!"

He was utterly ignored. Are girls really that nice? Too bad he was born a boy.

xxxxx

After nearly a week of being in the forest due to sidetracking to take pictures, some berries and a battle with a certain samurai which helped Caterpie evolve into Metapod, Satoshi and his friends finally made it to Pewter City.

"We're finally out of that forest!" Kasumi was completely elated at the thought of a nice bed instead of the forest floor, and the most important point: No Bugs. Her bike needed some repairs too after going through the forest and being chased after furious Pokemon. Perhaps she should give it up? Nah, bikes were needed for journeys and she was too attached to her bike to give it up.

* * *

 **~Side Story:** **Crash Course with Satoshi~**

* * *

"Alright, so we all know the term _'Leveling'_ right?" Satoshi asked with a pair of rectangular glasses, a lab coat with a pointer and a giant white board from somewhere.

All the Pokémon nodded, having heard the tern from him pretty often, but they don't really know the technical things behind it, just that they got more powerful.

"Alright, so we humans have made a system that estimates and measures a Pokémon's power. It measures your physical and energy levels and combines those two results to give an estimation of how strong a Pokémon supposedly is using a number!" he drew a few pictures and went even deeper in the explanation.

"For example, when a baby Pokémon is born, they are typically Level 1. This is because their body at that time is extremely weak and the amount of energy they hold is very little, just enough to use a few moves to protect themselves as they grow older and stronger. The energy I'm talking about is what Pokémon uses to allow them to use their moves. Everyone following me?"

The Pokemon all nodded a little hesitantly, a little afraid that he would start spouting words they were entirely out of their league.

"So, energy is important, since the more powerful a move is, the more energy you need to use it, and the less you can use a particular move. But don't think just energy is important! There are baby Pokemon born with more energy than you may ever get in your whole life, but those are typically Legendary Pokemon, and the problem with that, is just that sometimes your body can't handle such a large amount of energy, so you can't use it! Or it is very harmful to your body if you use it! So you have to make sure you train your body properly too!"

The Pokemon were starting to get where this was heading. A good pep talk about taking care of the body.

"Well, there is also the opposite where your body is strong, but you don't have enough energy to use strong attacks. Some Pokemon like Electric types can get more energy by drawing lighting from thunderclouds, and others through natural growth and training. Evolution also uses up a lot of energy, so unless you have enough stored up and something triggers it, you won't evolve. The trigger can be anything, be it a change in the season, a battle, or a really strong desire."

"Pikachu." Pikachu, having evolved before from a Pichu was naturally aware of some of these things. When he was still a Pichu, he would often harm himself trying to use Thundershock. It was a huge relief when he evolved. However, for him to evolve even farther would require some things, and he wasn't really looking forward to it either. He liked staying as a Pikachu.

"So there are also ways to side step the energy requirement for some Pokemon by using Evolution Stones. A Pokemon can evolve into another form that he otherwise cannot do so using his own energy to transform his body. As they say, when a Pokemon evolves, they get stronger. That is true since the body is 'upgraded' to be able to hold more power, and have a stronger 'base' to start from, usually being faster or stronger than the pre-evolved form. But I won't force you guys to evolve, there are goods things about not evolving too." Satoshi gave Pikachu a good rub on the head, knowing his dislike of his final evolution form.

The twins were looking interested on evolution while Dratini snorted and also seem to hold no interest in evolution. Caterpie was looking forward to his evolution into a Butterfree. There were no disadvantage to him! Pidgeotto was also looking forward to his final evolution form. There weren't much differences between a Pidgeotto and a Pidgeot, appearance-wise.

"Not evolving just means that you would have to work a little harder to beat someone, that's all. Besides, level isn't everything. Experience is important in knowing how to best use your own moves, and use them with the least amount of energy wasted. Even if a Pokemon is stronger, if they don't know how to use that power, or if they look down on you guys, they will be beaten down painfully. So when you guys train, do train carefully. No need to overwork your bodies." And then he won't have a team of overworked Pokemon to look after...

"By the way, Pikachu." Satoshi started seriously and the yellow mouse Pokemon perked up.

"Pi?"

"You have an Egg Move called Volt Tackle." He started. Pikachu tilted his head in confusion.

' _I do?'_

"But you can't use it since your body isn't strong enough to handle it." These words were utter shock to the electric mouse. He has an awesome sounding move and he can't use it because he was too weak?

"You've been training too much these past few days, so you need to rest your body and allow the muscles to fix themselves and make you stronger. So, the conclusion is: Take a day off." Satoshi finished in a no-nonsense voice that had the Pokemon pitifully crying and nodding his head in agreement. Too much training was bad, too little is also bad.

But by this point, he'll be left far behind!

"You guys need to stop training for today too. Besides, we're a little off schedule and I need to get to Pewter City by tonight. We're running low on supplies." The twins were also forced to stop their training and hanged their heads in disappointment.

Pikachu did a small fist pump.

Dratini yawned, and slowly slithered back to his pokeball now that the lecture was done.

Satoshi really worries about this tiny dragon Pokemon. Or rather, his whole team. Most of them were a little too hardworking. How did they become this way? He wasn't really pushing them like he was before when he was trying to become a Pokemon Master. He just told them to enjoy the journey.

* * *

 **A/N: For people who expressed their concerns with some of the game mechanics I put in, I hope this clears it up.**


End file.
